Head of UNDP Eurasia concludes two-day visit to the Republic of North Macedonia

Support to EU integration, better jobs for everyone top priorities

April 4, 2019

Skopje, 3 April 2019. During her two-day visit to the Republic of North Macedonia, the UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, discussed with key national counterparts UNDP’s contribution to advance national development priorities, including the implementation of Agenda 2030 and the EU accession. 

Ms. Spoljaric-Egger expressed appreciation for the Prime Minister’s leadership in tackling the issues of inequality, empowerment of women, jobs creation, particularly focusing on the disadvantaged groups, environmental protection, and other priorities.

The Prime Minister and the Head of UNDP Eurasia recognized the success of the active labour market measures designed and developed by the government in partnership with UNDP. For over a decade, the programme has helped to reduce unemployment and develop skills of hard-to employ people.

To date, over 12,000 new small and medium enterprises have been created as a result of the Programme, 30% of which are run by women and 30% by young people; more than 150 new firms have been started up by people with disabilities.

“In line with the philosophy of the Sustainable Development Goals – to leave no one behind – UNDP will continue to target the groups that face obstacles in entering the labor market: persons with disabilities; the Roma community; women and young people”, she stated.

The meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bujar Osmani focused on expanding cooperation with UNDP in the context of the EU integration process, through sharing of technical expertise and lessons learned gained from the previous waves of EU accession in the region.  

Ms. Spoljaric Egger also visited the Municipality of Zrnovci where UNDP helped reconstruct an important 82 meters road bridge, badly damaged during the 2015 floods; the social enterprise Pokrov which will provide training and professional rehabilitation to people with disabilities as they seek to enter the labor market; and met with partners and beneficiaries of a which promotes sustainable agricultural practices in the Strumica River Basin.

Contact information:

For media inquiries, please contact Sandra Ismanovski, Communications Officer for UNDP in the Republic of North Macedonia at sandra.ismanovski@undp.org or Nicolas Douillet, Regional Communications Advisor for the UNDP Regional Centre for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) at nicolas.douillet@undp.org

***

UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in nearly 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.